Magazine ranks Tennessee 4th best state for business, again

Monday, May 7, 2012 at 1:30pm

By Steven Hale

For the second straight year, Chief Executive magazine named Tennessee the fourth best state for business.

For all eight years the magazine has produced the list, the first and last place states — Texas and California respectively — have remained unchanged. Other states in the top five were Florida, North Carolina and Indiana.

The list was based on the responses of 650 CEOs, who graded states in which they do business based on tax and regulation, quality of workforce and living environment.

“Recently moved from New York state to Tennessee,” an unnamed CEO is quoted as saying. “Differences in ambience/climate/cost of living/attitude of government towards business are outstanding!”

In a recent interview with The City Paper, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said that he has heard businesses looking to relocate to Tennessee express concern about controversial social legislation proposed at the state level but that it didn’t ultimately keep them from making the move.

12 Comments on this post:

Dean also said Nashville taxpayers are not responsible for paying the tab on the new convention center. Hey Dean, don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

By:JeffF on 5/7/12 at 3:27

Way to throw in the quote that makes Dean look like a goober. The posters on Pith are not going to like this bit of news. In their minds the world hates us and the thunder and lightning of Colbert scorn will rain down on all our petty, uninformed heads. Woe!!!!!!!!!!

By:JeffF on 5/7/12 at 3:31

They should have made Dean finish the statement

"Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said that he has heard businesses looking to relocate to Tennessee express concern about controversial social legislation proposed at the state level but that it didn’t ultimately keep them from making the move"... past Nashville and into Williamson County.

I will put $5 that the wonderful Tennessean will publish the story but will not address the "we are goobers in the world's eyes" trash that they have been publishing since the turnover of the state legislature and governor's office.

Can't have Gail be put on the spot with actual data that makes her claims look dumb.

By:pswindle on 5/7/12 at 7:51

We need to bring back Gov. Bredesen. He left the state in a great shape and Haslam stepped in and is trying to undo or take credit where credit is not his to take.

By:NilsOrion on 5/8/12 at 6:11

well, of course, this is a great state to do business in cause the state cause it could care less about its workers. This is a right to work state, which is one in which workers are there to serve at the will of the employer.

By:Loner on 5/8/12 at 6:11

No, Tennessee is not the 4th best state in the union for being "business friendly", it is the 4th from the worst state for being worker unfriendly.

By:Moonglow1 on 5/8/12 at 6:40

Moonglow1: We are the corporate welfare state. Of course businesses love it here. The CEOs place their children in private schools where the crazy social issues are mitigated. The Legislature is comprised of outdated, ignorant, uninformed classless clueless ideologues unlike many Tennesseans who are normal.

By:localboy on 5/8/12 at 8:45

Nailed it, JeffF.

By:JeffF on 5/8/12 at 10:18

I laugh at the private school comment by Moonglow above. The officials would only be putting the kids into private school if they located to Memphis and Nashville. As we know though the corporations are choosing to locate in Tennessee anywhere but those two cities in places with good public schools.

As for the unionista ravings prior to Moonglow's. Those are interesting theories, but since the movement is in corporate offices not manufacturing for the most part they do not hold water. The jobs moving in are ones requiring educations the typical unionista peon does not possess.

Keep hating on the state of Tennessee boys and girls. Weuns and our elected officials are doing just fine with your crankiness. Your hate for the intelligence of voters and our elected representatives is really, really, really helpful. Nothing wraps up a good election campaign than a stark raving mad commentary from a disenfranchised, lefty, moonbeam-type about how stupid and backward we all are. You keep worrying about your little catch-phrase causes, we will just run the government of the state. Come back tomorrow when Colbert tells you what to think about us.

By:Ask01 on 5/9/12 at 5:51

Loner makes an excellent point.

This illustrates superbly how the same data can be interpreted, or twisted, to provide whatever support a particular person or group requires.

I prefer to view the results as indicating Tennessee as being the fourth least employee friendly state.

Not exactly a ranking of which to be proud, eh?

By:yucchhii on 5/9/12 at 10:44

i DON'T BELIEVE A WORD THE DISHONERABLE MAYOR KARL "DINK" has to say!! He's a CRIMINAL just like all the other politicians!! The day I believe a politician is the day I start to believe the supermarket tabloids!!! I see there are some out there that must read those because they seem to believe everything the politicians say!!! That's why the world IS THE WAY IT IS!!!